Native mobile device identification for toll-free service usage

• US 9,654,648 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Somos, Inc. (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Somos, Inc. (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharma, Sriram
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US14/984,659
• Publication Number:
  US 20160191716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 37911204, 37911424, 37911426, 37911414, 37911413
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24573 using data annotations, e.g. user-defined metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/125 based on throughput or bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/72 by the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/755 Account identification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8061 Selecting least cost route depending on origin or type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8214 Data or packet based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/555 Statistics, e.g. about subscribers but not being call statistics
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/367 Traffic or load control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 : by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42306 : Number translation services, e.g. premium-rate, freephone or vanity number services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 : where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5175 : Call or contact centers supervision arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0087 : Network testing or monitoring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0091 : Congestion or overload control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 : Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

A mobile device including a unique toll-free ID (TFID) present in the mobile device operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and a manufacturer.

Claims

1. A method of communication via a toll-free service, comprising:

receiving, by a TFID merchandise registry, a unique toll-free ID (TFID) of at least one mobile device, wherein the TFID is associated with merchandise purchased by a user of the mobile device, wherein the TFID is hard flashed in the mobile device, the TFID operable to facilitate toll-free communication between the mobile device and a manufacturer;

receiving, by the TFID merchandise registry, from the manufacturer, a toll-free (TF) number associated with the purchased merchandise; and

providing an automatic warranty registration of the purchased merchandise based on the TFID and the TF number.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising reading of at least one of a QR code, Barcode, RFID, and a serial number associated with the purchased merchandise via a camera of the mobile device in order to associate the TFID of the at least one mobile device with the purchased merchandise.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising associating at least one of the QR code, Barcode, RFID, and the serial number with the TFID via a TFID Mobile Application on the at least one mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a customer via the TFID.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a toll free provider that is providing the toll-free service via the TFID.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing information associated with the warranty registration to the at least one mobile device, and initiating a customer service toll-free call without incurring cost to the user based on the information associated with the warranty information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the customer service toll-free call includes allowing the user to access multimedia content.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the toll-free call occurs in a location where the toll-free communication prevents incurring international roaming expenses on the device placing the communication.